Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-26
OBSTRUCTS TRAVEL ON THAT ROAD.
And Throws Sixty-fve Thousand Employees
Out Of Work.
THE COMPANY'S ULTIMATUM.
Men Must Return to Work Tuesday or Re,
main Out Altogether.

ing Railroad system. The order calls
from work all Knights of Labor, except
those i'll the passenger service of the road.
1t ties mp all freight trains and stops all
coal trains. 1t calls the workmen from
the mines, and calls out IS, 900 men. To
the strike in the Lehigh Valley mines will
be added all the mines of the vast anthracite
region Of the Reading Railroad 1t practi-
cally paralyzes the coal industry of the East
in the dead of winter, and unless a halt is
called the greatest suffering must eusue.
This order was issued by the convention OF
the Reading railroad employees, District
Assembly No. 224. The only exceptions
made were the passenger, mail service and
theemplOyes whose strike would jeopardize
life or property.
As soon as the convention, after grave
dehberatiOn, decided to order the general
strike, kilograms were sent to all points
along the line to that effect, and commit
tees were sent to Willow street wharf, to
the stations at Third and Berks streets,
Bond and CallOwhill, Ninth and Green
streets and out on the main line to order
every Knight of Labor to quit work. The
ultjmatum was decided on at about 4
p m, and by o'clock last night all the
freight business OF the companies in this
city was suspended indefinitely.
As early rs II o'clock Port Richmond
strikers, who went out in body on Fri
day, began to cOngregate about their hall
at Richmond and NefT streets, and at one
O'Clock the meeting was called to order A
little later much more weighty conyen-
tion began to assemble This was the
first important meeting OF the new Dis
trict Assembly No. %, of the Reading
Railroad men. 1t met in the same hall in
"A room on the first floor The convention
did not get down to business till about s
o'clock, when ~ delegates were present,
representing all sections Of the Reading
Railroad and branches and all vocations,
from an engineer TO miner, inCludingc coal
handlers and general steyedores. There
was grimness about the meeting, Every
delegate appeared to feel the responsibility
Of his position and that the weltoIe OF
thousands of laborers hung on his vote.
THE KNIGHTS GRIEVANCES.
When the District Convention got into
regular working order a committee from
Port Richmond and Elizabethport, the
two points where the Knights had been
discharged, placed their case before the
convention. Knights from EiizabethpOrt
said that they had understood that the
Reading Railroad Company was not to in
tertere in the Lehigh strike, but, on the
contrary, was to c0ntne its attention To
its own mines aud the transportation OF
it's own coal. This, they say, the company
had not adhered to, as they had been or
dered to load one Of Coke Bros barges
that WAS lying empty at Elizabetbpcrt.
The Knights refused to load Coke Bros.
barge because fifty-three Schuykill boats
were lying empty ut the piers at the same
time. They claimed that the Reading
Company ought to load its own barges
first. They further recited that about
$50 men were discharged at IL O'Clock on
Friday, and that the officers refused to
keep them at work pending the settle
ment Ut trouble by arbitration.
The committee, representing the Port
Richmond Knights, gave to the cOnyen-
tion history of their case. The spOkes-
man declared that the company had re-
fused to arbitrate, and would not as much
rs listen to the arguments OF the men.
Their strike at Port Richmond has been
precipitated owing to the presence Of 20,
lice aud Pinkerton's detectives, who had
descended on the crowd while the EN-
ployes were peacefully at work. They de
II ~, haH
issue on them and that they had no inten'
tiOn of striking
The convention then went into execu-
tive session and discussed the whole
matter
DECISION OF THE CONVENTION.
After three hours deliberation they de
cided to issue general order to tie up al
the coal and freight traffic of the company
and, it necessary, to call out the passenger
men in the near future. All the proml
nent knights OF Labor employed on the
Reading Railroad were at the convention
I'VE are in for long and bitter light, anc
we are ready for all that comes, SAID sew
eral OF the delegates. The result of tht
convention WAS officially given cut as fol
| lows:
The convention of Reading Railroad em
ployees, district No. 3!4, decides that al
| Knights of Labor employed by the Read
ing Railroad Company are to cease wori
or notification, with the exception OF pas
senger service employees, watchmen, slg
nal tower men and any who are needed t(
protect life or property. In regard to th'
Port Richmond yards this convention eX
presses its willingness to have guarded thu
property OF the company, as we did on th'
occasion of the strike one year ago, but w
are deharred from so doing By reason OF th'
company having employed Pinkerton de
teetives and the police OF the city to pro
tect their property, thereby relieving us
all responsibility.
The convention considered the hast
which Director Stokely had obeyed tn
company a. very reprehensible, as they
had been and were peaceable men. III
convention decided that all further nego
tiations between the Reading Railroad Off
cials and the men should cease from nov
on as, in the opinion Of the convention, tn
company had violated article Is OF agree
ment signed q year ago, which reads
"Fyery man, whether employer or employ
ed. shall receive fair investigation TO
any accident or grievance complained II
his case that may occur before he shall b.
discharged or suspended"
4 The following notice vas issued las
night. signed by General Manager Nc
I,eod, OF the Philadelphia & Reading Rail
road Company:
"Work will be resumed on Tuesda.
morning, December 27th, at the Por
Richmond yard. Employees will repor
for duty ut that time. The men dis
cbarped for disobedience of orders in re
f,sins to move trains to the place of thei
destination will not be permitted to agar
enter the service Of the company IN an!
capacity"
| sY,rTr ArTnN At PRADTNA.